From the homeliest couch potato to the most glamorous influencer, many struggle with online dating now that it’s become the most socially acceptable way to meet people. Throw scammers into the mix, and you end up with a doubly frustrating experience!
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In 1897, playwright Edmond Rostand published Cyrano de Bergerac, an unforgettable and timeless story that continues to capture many hearts today. A skilled skirmisher and clever poet, Cyrano uses his talents to woo his distant cousin, Roxane.
But, because he’s so self-conscious of his massive nose, Cyrano writes letters to her in which he assumes the role of his friend Christian, with whom Roxane is already in love. Considering how the play ends, Cyrano likely would’ve been better off if he’d been honest with Roxane from the start.
Thanks to modern scamming tactics, the play's organizing device has become all too familiar to many people over a hundred years later. However, today’s scammers are as likely to appear on online dating apps as they are to appear in your email inbox.
Investigators explain how online dating scams work in this informative MagellanTV documentary.
Catfishing: Today’s Typical Romance Scam
The anonymity of online dating has allowed scammers to entice victims with fake identities that are literally too good to be true. Throughout this process, scammers avoid in-person interaction entirely. Many refer to this general practice as “catfishing.”
At their least offensive, catfishers use photos of gym rats or models to rack up matches, initially showering victims with attention and false praise in the interest of some ulterior motive. At worst, these catfishers solicit money for “emergencies” by tugging at victims’ heartstrings. And make no mistake, such theft has already cost victims huge sums of money.
Does Catfishing Really Work?
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s reports, Americans lost $547 million to catfishers in 2021, which is tens of millions more than in 2020. Though the FTC speaks only on behalf of the U.S., catfishers have also been a worldwide problem.
One explanation for this trend is that COVID-19 has discouraged people from meeting in person, but technological advancements have also allowed for a variety of ways in which catfishers can process money. Cruelly, many scammers ask for gift cards, but more tech-savvy ones ask for cryptocurrency.
Who Gets Catfished?
Maybe all this still begs the question, “Who’s falling for these scams? Aren’t they obvious?” Part of the catfisher’s strategy is knowing which victims to target.
You don’t need to feel judgmental if you’ve guessed that older people bear the brunt of this phenomenon, because the AARP agrees with you! If we take another look at 2021, the average financial loss per victim was around $2,500, but the average loss per victim among people 70 and older clocked in at around $9,000.
(Credit: Sammy-Sander, via Pixabay)
Other popular targets include divorced women, disabled people, and members of ethnic minorities. Self-doubt and desperation are as valuable to catfishers as gullibility.
What Are the Easiest Ways to Unmask Catfishers?
Taking a close look at the pictures these fraudsters post is the most immediate option. Let’s say that, after years of receiving no matches on your favorite dating app, you finally come across a beautiful model from Russia who wants anything and everything to do with you. If it looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
If the pictures are believable, proceed slowly with some basic research and a few questions. Can you Google this person? What comes up? Are the person’s answers to your questions consistent?
Finally, if your potential partner becomes bold enough to ask for money, that’s when the FTC would like you to report the behavior. If you’ve already lost money to a scammer, contacting authorities is better late than never! And, reporting a scammer to an intermediary like your bank or the company from whom you bought a gift card may result in a partial refund.
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Title Image credit: Laura España, via Unsplash
